Business Commons^™

Leaders Fostering Dialogue Through Developmental Relationships: An Od Perspective, Rod P. Githens, Nileen Verbeten

Benerd College Faculty Books and Book Chapters

In complex and chaotic contexts, technical approaches to organizational change fail to produce desired results. This chapter explores how leaders can foster developmental relationships at the individual and group levels by using dialogue-centric methods to help individuals and groups identify emergent solutions. We integrate the literature on dialogic organization development (OD) and psychological safety to develop a perspective for developmental relationships in emergent contexts where groups cannot find clear solutions. The chapter culminates with an overview of three families of methodologies for fostering developmental relationships through dialogue at the group level: Technology of Participation (ToP), Liberating Structures, and Design Thinking. …

Innovation Within Regulations: Gaining Insight On Cultivating Employee-Led Innovation In California Public-Sector Organizations, Rebecca N. Franklin

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The inquiry concerned gaining insights into environmental elements needed within California public-sector organizations to increase employees’ willingness to share innovative ideas. Although research exists regarding the need for service innovation and employees as fruitful sources of innovative ideas, there have been limited studies concerning public-sector organizations and the best method to solicit employee ideas. The data collection for this qualitative research study consisted of a series of interviews with front-line, non-supervisory civil servants. The results provide insights and information on how public-sector organizations may foster a culture that promotes and encourages employee-led innovation. The themes that emerged were (a) transparency …

Using Needs Assessment As A Learning Tool In The Product Development Process: A Case Study Of A Quick Service Restaurant Chain, Denise Cumberland, Rod P. Githens

Benerd College Faculty Articles

Purpose– The purpose of this case study was threefold. First, to examine whether a needs assessment can work in the context of an organization’s new product development process to identify the gap between what “is” occurring and what “should” be occurring. Second, to investigate how a well-known stakeholder classification system can be adopted in a practitioner setting. Third, to identify why the new product development process derailed in a quick-service restaurant chain.

Design/methodology/approach– A Fortune 200 quick-service restaurant chain provided the setting for a case study on the new product development (NPD) process. Data were gathered from multiple stakeholder groups …

Online Occupational Education In Community Colleges: Prevalence And Contextual Factors, Rod P. Githens, F. Crawford, T. M. Sauer

Benerd College Faculty Books and Book Chapters

This study examined the current state of online occupational programs in community colleges and explored issues related to institutional, economic, and social indicators that influence (a) the offering of online programs and (b) the programmatic connection to workforce development needs. This project is the first national study that categorizes and inventories specific types of online occupational programs in community colleges. The study included a national random sample of 321 institutions in the United States. Data were collected through institutional websites, statewide websites, follow-up emails, and phone inquiries to institutions. The following sections summarize key findings.

Controls And Analysis For Small Business Management, Lawrence Francis Daingerfield

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In this day of speed and efficiency there is a large segment of our medium and small sized businesses that is at least in part operating as in the horse and buggy days. The ideas presented here have been developed by actual practice and are based on information. obtained from sources listed in the bibliography. Because these ideas and theories have been modified over a period of four years of application, they seem to have lost their identity. Basically there is nothing new in the world, but man through a process of supplementation or modification has created what appeared to …